


Intriguing

by Ephestus



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: But he's trying, Conflicted Kylo, F/M, Future Angst, Ren's a weird little shit, future violence, what are feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-07 14:16:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11060715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ephestus/pseuds/Ephestus
Summary: Everyone always scatters.Not her.Why?





	1. Onset

**Author's Note:**

> AYYY this is my first Star Wars fandom fic ever, so I'll probably heck some things up - if I do, please point them out to me! I'm trying, lol
> 
> Give me thoughts and feelings, grammar mistakes, etc. in the comments!  
> I hope you enjoy!

    When he strode into the vast rooms of Starkiller base, everyone scattered, or froze. His shoulders were always tense, always coiled like he would activate that saber and destroy anything that moved - which wan’t too far of a stretch from reality. The Commander was known for tearing into machinery, technology, and sometimes people when his temper flared.

    Between the triumvirate of General Hux, Captain Phasma, and Commander Kylo Ren, you wondered just how much rested on the last’s shoulders. His outbursts seemed to be increasing in frequency, much to the vexation of the General. You had caught him hurrying by, mumbling on multiple occasions about the Commander’s “expensive, childish fits."

    You, however; sick bastard you may be, found an amount of fascination within you when you witnessed his outbursts. Though, you never had to report to the Commander, which was a mixture of blessings and curses - you were curious about him, yet cautious enough to be thankful for your placement as a Petty Officer.

 

    The alarm clock in your room beeped with what you felt was contempt - 0545 hours, and not much sleep to speak of. In the middle of the night that night, you tossed and turned. Some nausea, a headache, cold sweats plagued you for a solid half hour, and your sheets stuck to your skin uncomfortably. With a sigh you sat up and rubbed the heels of your palms into your eye sockets. Today you were supposed to oversee the repair of the translators’ room full of now obliterated monitors - the Commander must have had a trying day for certain, leaving no piece of hardware unscathed. Instead of being angry at the man - which, admittedly you were as you heard of the news the previous day - you felt more sympathetic. You dressed in your - surprise - black officer’s uniform, and pulled your hair back into a suitable style. With a small sigh, you straightened your spine and glanced at yourself in your refresher’s mirror. Humming in content, you slipped your boots on and walked out of your quarters into the sparsely populated halls of the base.

    After quickly eating your breakfast and reporting to your superior officers for a brief run-down of your daily responsibilities, your day was, quite frankly, dull as hell. You kept record of the shiny new panels being brought in to replace the melted remains of the previous sheets. The reports hadn’t exaggerated about the damages. The gouges into the walls were deep and melted. Some drops of molten metal were fused to the floor.

The poor janitors.

    All the chatter stopped at once. You could practically feel a low thrum in the room, and it wasn’t the usual low frequency of the monitors and tech. You turned to the open doorway, and there stood the Commander, absolutely towering. His mask swept over the people in the room. You swallowed and stood more upright, hoping to the stars that none of the gossip from the technicians and janitors was heard. Although, you had heard a couple times before that he could read minds. You hoped for everyone’s sake, including Commander Ren’s, that those rumors weren’t true. You saw his fists tighten and rest again, the squeaking of leather being the only sound in the room.

Maybe that wasn’t quite the case.

You cleared your throat, and his chromed visage turned to you.

“The installations should be completed in two days, sir.” Thankfully your voice was more steady and calm than you felt. He gave a small, terse nod, yet his gaze remained on you. Had you done something wrong? _No_ , you thought, _you hadn’t, not to your knowledge…_ His head tipped to the left, and you caught a few of the technicians on your right ease their gaze onto you and back to the Commander. His mask seemed to scrutinize you, and you began to feel more uneasy. After completing that thought, he turned and left, the palpable relief flooding into the room. A janitor you worked with for several months, Tern, raised an eyebrow.

“What was that about?” You raised your hands and shrugged, “I-I have no idea… I haven’t even spoke with him before.” He shook his head and continued his attempts at chipping metal off of the floor.

Poor Tern.

 

    The rest of the day ticked by normally, aside from the anxious feeling in your chest. You felt heavy that night as you changed into your night clothes, a black tank top and shorts. The comforter was soft and inviting, and yet you couldn’t sleep for a while. Your mind kept turning back to the Commander’s mask staring you down.

    In the middle of the night that night, you tossed and turned. Some nausea, a headache, and cold sweats plagued you for a solid half hour, your sheets sticking to your overheated skin. With a groan, you tossed the black comforter back and stumbled to the refresher your room provided and cupped your hands beneath the faucet for a few sips of water. _I didn’t even touch anyone yesterday, I better not be coming down with something_ , you thought, and just like that, the pain disappeared.


	2. Reprieve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your nausea continues...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm flyin' blind, folks :') I'm making this up as I go with no super specific goal, but I know my general direction...I think

    Recurring nausea was a theme of the next several days. It routinely woke you in the middle of your sleep cycle accompanied by sharp pains in your temples, and it was beginning to take its toll on your patience and focus. You messed up a few times when you were organizing files for your superior (though thankfully, he let you off the hook for that one), you had to ask people to repeat themselves often, and you found yourself dozing off in the cafeteria a couple days ago. No one had said anything just yet, but when you snapped at a trooper in the halls for almost tripping you, you caught yourself and apologized. The poor guy probably had enough to deal with. 

    Today was no different. You were supposed to meet with a handful of other petty officers for a briefing about something you...couldn’t quite remember at the time. It was at 1200 sharp in a smaller meeting room, and you were close to running a little late after a visit to the health ward. Nothing was diagnosed, nothing was off - what the hell was wrong with you? You rubbed your slightly burning eyes and continued down the winding, reflective hallways. Even after being on Starkiller base for nearly two years, you could certainly get lost if you didn’t pay enough attention; the hallways looked so similar, in every wing of the base you’ve been in. You stepped around a corner, and with your luck as of late, slammed directly into what felt like another wall. You stumbled backwards and recovered quickly, squeaking in surprise when you looked up.

Of course, why wouldn’t Commander Ren be the one you slam into? Surely.

“I’m s-so sorry Commander, I should’ve been paying more attention-“ His covered eyes never left your no doubt red face. He hadn’t reacted whatsoever, not even to step away from you and your shared close proximity. Your throat ran dry - you had never been this close to him before. His mask emitted a static filled noise, a sigh maybe? A more optimistic part of you hoped it was out of amusement. Your eyes roamed over his mask and you took a couple moments to observe the more intricate details you may never get the chance to see again. He truly did loom over you in height, and he was broad shouldered, too. A mountain of a person. Intimidating, but you found yourself admiring the amount of authority his presence demanded. He moved past you after what seemed like an hour of staring, and you began to panic slightly about what that meant. You hoped you didn’t anger him, though if you did it was still your fault for not watching where you were going. His loud footsteps echoed in the now empty hallway. You checked the time, and your face twisted as a sigh left your lips.

You were definitely late now.

 

    After your meeting ended, which thankfully wasn't about anything pertaining to you directly, the temporary distraction of the courteous small talk with the other officers ended and your earlier encounter returned anew in your mind. Your ears burned as you recalled how absolutely panicked you must have sounded. There were no reports of destroyed monitors or wall panels, which was a good sign. You made your way back to the cafeteria for your allowed later lunch period. Your stomach had rumbled near the end of the meeting. Your breakfasts were smaller than usual from your lack of appetite. This time, during your small trek, you made sure to be aware of your surroundings before you turned corners.

    As you took your tray of hardly identifiable food and sat down at an empty table, you saw him again. He was getting a tray of food that looked quite more appealing than what you were offered, with a small group of higher-ups. You swore you saw a glimpse of Captain Phasma's chrome armor at the entrance, and the back of the general's greatcoat. Ren turned towards you right after you noticed him, and you quickly turned back to your food. The next time you looked up he was gone. Today was not going as smoothly as you had hoped.

Luckily, Tern was cleaning off tabletops, so you had someone to speak with during your break.

“Still not sleeping well, eh?” You sighed and brought your fingers to your somewhat swollen under eye. “Is it that obvious?” You joked, knowing full well it certainly was. “You should request a day off,” Tern warned, “you really could use it.” He knew you didn’t like using your off days unless it was absolutely necessary, but considered admitting that now was one of those times. “I’ll send a message to the general in the morning if I’m not feeling better. How’s that, mom?” You gave a chuckle and knocked your shoulder into his as he took a seat next to you for a moment. “Perfect.” A victorious smile slid to his lips. You and Tern were fast friends. He was your guide several months ago when you got turned around in the labyrinthian base, and since then he’s been your person. Your best friend on-base. He had curly blond hair, always-shining brown eyes, and the sweetest disposition despite his stereotypically unappealing job and the occasional mistreatment that came with it. He always said he didn’t mind it, because his parents put the money he sent home to good use.

“I need to get going, T,” you stood, gathering your tray and wrappers, “I have more files and such to get to today.” He nodded, his little curls bobbing all over, “Alright, I’ll see you when I see you (y/n).” You added your tray to the pile near the counter and gave him a wave. He got back to wiping tables down, hollering after you, “If you don’t take that off day I’m going to talk to the general myself!” You smiled and laughed to yourself, not putting it past him.

    That evening as you stepped out of the shower in your quarters, your holopad chimed with a message. You wrapped up into a soft towel and sat at the edge of your bed, picked your holopad up from your nightstand, and swiped the screen to your inbox to find a confusing message.

** "Petty Officer (L/n), **

** A requested sick day has been approved for tomorrow. Please do recover and return to work the next day. **

** You have 7 off days remaining. **

** General A.  Hux" **

_Damn you Tern_ , you internally whined, embarrassed at the thought of him actually going to the general _for_ you. Maybe he got into your quarters after lunch and used your holopad... You tapped on the "sent" tab. You found nothing recent or relevant. Your feelings of absolute exhaustion overpowered your concern, and your damp head of hair hit your pillow. What a long day it had been. Your eyes slid closed, and your hand relaxed to let the holopad topple gently beside you.

 

You didn’t feel sick that night.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like you got a day off :D


	3. Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your day off begins...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO GO UP LIKE 2 DAYS AGO I'M SORRY I HAVE NO EXCUSE  
> ...I kinda binge watched Orange is the New Black while I had the time between work projects...AND I HAVE NO EXCUSE  
> I hope this doesn't read in a disjointed manner, it took me a little while to set things the way I wanted them.  
> Let me know what you think ♥

    Empty nothings with whispers of childhood nostalgia filled your dreams. Memories of your father telling you stories before bed, birthdays, your mother helping you pack for academy… Your alarm slowly pulled you back up into reality. You had the day off today. Your arms stretched above your head, and you felt a satisfying pop in your lower back. No nausea, not even a sour stomach plagued you. You lazily kicked your feet in sleepy happiness; you could eat a nice breakfast this morning! Your mood rose before your mind came to a stop - Tern. You had to ask him about that message. You sat up and ran a hand through your hair, finding that it was still a bit damp in some spots. The refresher floor was chilly on your feet as you brushed your teeth and prepared yourself for your day of as much rest and food as you could manage. 

    The First Order’s casual clothing was pretty much indistinguishable from the typical uniform, other than the boots that were substituted for surprisingly comfortable shoes, and a lack of a stiff tunic coat over a basic black shirt. Your walk down the heavily populated halls wasn’t as stressful as you anticipated, since you were in no real rush to breakfast. Troopers in perfect lines marched by, officers and other uniformed employees accidentally thumped into your shoulder a couple times with a following shout of apology. You gave a small smile - how many times have you run into people lately? You definitely recalled at least one. Eventually you stepped into the cafeteria and saw maybe twenty others there, one of them being the sassy custodian you needed to speak to. He was cleaning up a spill near the beverage counter, and you hurried into a speed walk to catch him while you could.

“Tern…,” you began with a playfully stern tone, “Did you-“ 

“Hey!” He stood up straight with a bright smile, “You got the day! Good, didn’t make me step in for ya.” He winked and snickered, and continued his mopping up of what looked to be..some sort of soda? Who drinks soda in the morning? “You mean…you aren’t behind this?” You brought out your holopad and showed him the message with a raised eyebrow. He barked out a rather incredulous laugh, “You didn’t? Well, I had nothing to do with it. Kind of wish I did though,” He trailed off in a thoughtful tone.  “So if you didn’t, then who did, Tern? Maker himself?” You cocked a hip and placed your fist on it, giving him your best I-detect-bullshit face. “I-I don’t know, not me! I don’t think I have the balls to do that, to be honest. That man scares the shit out of me sometimes.” He shuddered, “I’ve seen how he totally shuts people down. It happens so damn fast.” You crossed your arms and said in utter exasperation, “Okay, so who in the actual hell spoke with him about it? I didn’t even send him anything recently, at all!” 

    A loud screeching, an unreal roaring sound echoed throughout the hallways, and disrupted the mumblings and previous hustle of the base. Your heard the many footsteps running through the hallways. Tearing sounds, more screeching - you whipped around to face the open entrance of the cafe to see him. His form was absolutely monstrous, holding his weapon and casting a sharp red glow over everything near him. Your heart thumped wildly in your chest with adrenaline - you finally got to see it. You chanced a glance around you and saw that there were only a few troopers near the opposite end of the wide room, and they certainly didn’t want to be there.

    Ren’s shoulders were heaving, and he lowered his saber just enough that the very end tore into the floor panels. Goosebumps raised along every inch of your skin when he began to slowly take thudding steps toward you, his blade melting and tearing the panelling apart in his wake. Your feet were rooted to the spot, and your eyes to his masked face. 

“The other mice have scurried away, yet you remain in a corner.” 

His deep, mechanical voice reverberated in your chest. You were surprised to recall that you’ve never heard him speak before, mask or not. Your gaze lowered to his feet and you swallowed. There were small bits of melted metal on his boots. You took a deep breath and felt the way your lungs tightened. The raw power in the room raised the hair on the back of your neck.

“If you wanted to hurt me, you probably would have done it already, sir…” You said, as lightly and calmly as you could. You were excited and sure of your logic, very much so. You heard the stories. This man did not hesitate.

The crackling saber held beside him didn’t raise. His head tipped and a modulated huffed sound came from him. “Do you feel no fear?” He may have been incredulous, but the mask made it near impossible to read him at all. You wondered what his face looked like. Was he angry with you? With the general? Ren tore the saber from the floor panels, leaving a deep trench with dripping molten metal at its edges. It retracted with an eerie wailing sound, into its hilt. You heard of lightsabers, but never saw one until being stationed here. It was beautiful, in a way; such vivid coloring and unstable, yet powerful. Many would suggest similarities with it and its wielder.

Slow steps were taken towards you, and the commander’s shadow engulfed you. He leaned down to your level, the front of his mask mere inches away from your nose. You could hear him breathing quietly and evenly. 

“ **I will show you fear.** "

You could have never guessed that that voice could be any more grave and dark. He stood upright and spun in a soundless 180 to leave the room, his cape and robes billowing behind him. 

 

    Later that day, when you returned to your quarters after some light exercise and snatching up any food you could manage, you dwelled on the commander’s words. _Show you fear?_ You had nothing but interest and respect for him your entire duration of being on base. Sure he could have a short fuse, but he had so much to deal with. You huffed and pulled your shirt above your head, dropping it next to your bed. He wanted to _show you fear_ \- of course you would be confronted with such a thing on your…day…off.

Which Tern did not advocate for.

On which Commander Ren _coincidentally_ tried to scare the shit out of you.

…Ren.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA  
> HA HA  
> HE DONE DID IT


End file.
